Milka Pejovic

Macro Monday: my first ladybugs

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Today I’m taking part in the Macro Monday photo challenge. Remember you can click on each photo for a larger view. If you like what you see, I encourage you to subscribe so you can enjoy the new photos I post a few times a week.

Taking photos of ladybugs in San Diego is a challenge. There aren’t that many of them because of the dry and hot climate and they’re not around for a long time. Even when I find some, they’re so busy looking for food that they don’t stop moving long enough for me to take a picture. Oh, and of course, they’re very small so I need a powerful macro to get a decent photo. That’s a lot of things getting in the way.

So I consider myself lucky for having been able to snap a few pictures of ladybugs a couple of weeks ago. My first ladybug was a little shy and moved too much so this is the best I could do. This ladybug was crawling on milkweed flowers.

Macro Monday: ladybug on milkweed flower

I was luckier with the second ladybug I spotted and managed to get closer and capture a better angle.

Finally I managed to get a photo of a ladybug from above. It was actually crawling under a large leaf. I’m pretty happy with this one.

Did you notice what these three ladybugs have in common? They don’t have any spots. I have no idea why but I thought that was quite a coincidence.

WordPress weekly photo challenge: Masterpiece

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Today I’m participating in the WordPress weekly photo challenge and this week’s theme is “masterpiece”. You can click on the photos below for a larger view. If you like what you see, feel free to subscribe and receive nature photography updates a few times a week.

Earlier today I posted a few photos of the supermoon of July 2013. While responding to a comment by Lisa at Northwest Frame of Wind, I mentioned a recent photo of the almost full moon I took in June 2013. She asked me to share it in a future post, so when I saw today’s photo challenge theme was masterpiece, I figured this would be a great opportunity. This is the supermoon of June 2013, a couple of days before it was full. Look how beautiful the moon is, with its moon craters. A masterpiece in our skies.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Masterpiece - almost full moon with moon craters — WordPress weekly photo challenge: Masterpiece – almost full moon with moon craters

Nature is a wonderful display of masterpieces, if you play close attention to it. Here are just a few I really enjoyed capturing on camera, including the pistils of this beautiful purple and yellow lily. It’s amazing how many details nature includes in each masterpiece it creates.

The San Diego Botanic Garden has beautiful topiary I consider work of art. Here’s a dancing couple. You can view more photos of these topiary masterpieces here.

Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Masterpiece - topiary of a dancing couple — WordPress weekly photo challenge: Masterpiece – topiary of a dancing couple

This last photo is not nature related but it is a unique masterpiece. I was so mesmerized with this multicolor firework I photographed this past July 4, something I’ve never seen before. I love how the different colors go so well together against the black background of the sky. You can see more photos of fireworks here.

: WordPress weekly photo challenge: Masterpiece – multicolor fireworks

July 26, 2013February 7, 2020 by Milka Pejovic Categories: Bloom Photos, Fireworks photos, Flower Photos, Photography, Sky Photos, Tree PhotosTags: fireworks, flower pistil close-up, full moon, lily pistils, moon craters, multi-color fireworks, nature photography, photography, photos of blooms, photos of flowers, purple lily, San Diego Botanic Garden, supermoon, topiary, topiary sculpture, Wordpress weekly photo challenge, Wordpress weekly photo challenge: Masterpiece 7 Comments

The supermoon of July 2013

Did you know that 2013 has seen three supermoons so far, and all in a row (May, June and July)? Those supermoons don’t have to look much bigger than a “normal” moon and honestly, it’s hard to see a difference with the naked eye. But it still gives me the opportunity to get a few nice photographs of the full moon. And that’s what I did a few nights ago.

Remember you can click on each photo for a larger view. If you like what you see, I encourage you to subscribe so you can enjoy the new photos I post a few times a week.

The evening started out quite cloudy and the moon was covered with a big patch of clouds, even though the rest of the sky seemed pretty clear. It did make for some interesting photos of the moon behind the clouds.

As the night got darker, the clouds got thinner and I got to see more of the full moon.

Full moon coming out from behind the clouds

The skies finally cleared up and I got a nice view of the supermoon of July 2013. If you didn’t get a chance to see it where you live, this is what it looked like.

July 26, 2013February 7, 2020 by Milka Pejovic Categories: Cloud photos, Photography, Sky PhotosTags: full moon, full moon and clouds, moon behind clouds, moon hiding behind clouds, nature photography, photography, photos, super moon, supermoon, supermoon July 2013 6 Comments

Cee’s fun foto challenge: One monarch caterpillar

Travel theme: Tilted

Today I’m participating in Where’s My Backpack’s Travel Theme photo challenge. This week’s theme is “tilted”. Remember you can click on each photo for a larger view. If you like what you see, feel free to subscribe and receive nature photography updates a few times a week.

I took this photo of a monarch caterpillar last week in San Diego’s Balboa Park. I wish I could walk tilted up a tree like that.

Travel theme: Tilted monarch caterpillar

How about this baby panda at the San Diego Zoo, who manages to hang on and take a nap on a tilted branch?

This orange dragonfly can stand still and a bit tilted while barely hanging on to a stick.

Finally, look at these two pine trees. One of them is slightly tilting and to touch the other, then tilting back the other way, as if the trees were kissing.

July 23, 2013February 7, 2020 by Milka Pejovic Categories: Animal Photos, Forest Photos, Photography, Tree Photos, Woods PhotosTags: baby panda, monarch caterpillar, orange dragonfly, pine trees, San Diego Balboa Park, Travel theme: Tilted, where's my backpack travel theme 8 Comments

Macro Monday: more close-ups of pine tree sap

Today I’m taking part in the Macro Monday photo challenge. If you like what you see, I encourage you to subscribe so you can enjoy the new photos I post a few times a week.

A couple of weeks ago, I shared a few photos of pine tree sap from up close. Here are a few more photos to add to the collection. I hope you enjoy them.